The British Horseracing Authority is taking urgent steps to improve how Thoroughbreds are tracked throughout their lives as it makes traceability a key priority in the sport’s welfare strategy.
Uncomfortable questions were raised for horseracing in both Britain but particularly Ireland on Monday night by The Dark Side of Racing, a BBC Panorama investigation which claimed that around 4,000 thoroughbreds had been slaughtered in abattoirs since 2019.
The programme concentrated on harrowing scenes captured by hidden cameras set up by campaign group Animal Aid at the Drury and Sons abattoir in Wiltshire which appeared to show breaches of rules which are meant to protect animals from unnecessary suffering.
High Expectations (above) was one of three horses once trained by Gordon Elliott which ended up at the abattoir
The programme also made allegations about tampering with microchips which identify racehorses to circumvent regulations on horsemeat reaching the human fiood chain.
Drury and Sons told Panorama: ’We take great care to maintain high welfare conditions and do not accept any form of animal abuse. All horses are humanely destroyed and on occasions where issues do occur, we take swift action to review and rectify.’
Regulations at abattoirs fall under the jurisdiction of the Food Standards Agency.
But the BHA conceded that that there are holes in their data on what happens to horses between compulsory registration of foals within 30 days of birth and the number of horses which enter a racing stable as well as what happens to horses when they leave training.
Reacting the programme the BHA said that it would support the FSA if it decided the pictures of alleged mistreatment of horses at the abattoir required further investigation.
In a statement the BHA added: ‘No one in racing, and no one who loves horses, wants to see them caused distress or suffering at the end of their lives.
Elliott was banned from racing in March after he was photographed sitting on a dead horse
‘If there has been a departure from approved abattoir practices and the welfare of the horses involved has been compromised, it is important this is addressed as a matter of urgency.
‘This includes transporting horses over long distances to an abattoir, especially if these have injuries, which is not acceptable under the British racing industry’s guidelines for euthanasia.’
The BHA and other leaders from the British racing industry, including the independently-chaired Horse Welfare Board, will be meeting on Tuesday to consider further the issues raised by this programme. It will also be in contact with colleagues in
